The men who had millions of lives in their hands

How do the families of generals who sent men into battle commemorate World War One?

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New top story on Hacker News: Tracing stolen Bitcoin, using a precedent from 1816

Tracing stolen Bitcoin, using a precedent from 1816
74 by seagullz | 26 comments on Hacker News.

Review: Krasinski's 'A Quiet Place' is a Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Horror Film

Move over Cloverfield, there's a much better sci-fi horror thriller in town. A Quiet Place is the latest film directed by, and starring, John Krasinski (he also directed Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and The Hollars previously) and it's easily his best film yet. This near-perfect sci-fi horror is about alien creatures who have taken over Earth, that hunt and attack only using sound. To save his family, Krasinski lives a very quiet life on a farm, careful to never make any noises. It's a very ambitious concept - make a movie with minimal dialogue, that is almost entirely quiet, telling a story about a family living carefully to avoid being killed by these vicious, monstrous creatures. It's another "Twilight Zone"-esque creation, in the same vein as the Cloverfield sequels, but much much better than either of the Cloverfield sequels. I really love this movie.

John Krasinski's A Quiet Place is actually a very self-contained, minimal film. Krasinski stars as Lee, Emily Blunt (his wife in real life) plays his wife in the film, Evelyn. And they have two kids - Noah Jupe (from Suburbicon, Wonder) as Marcus, and Millicent Simmonds (from Wonderstruck) as Regan. They all live a simple life on a farm, remaining as quiet as possible to not attract these deadly creatures. The attention-to-detail that went into establishing their life is impressive - they follow paths of sand laid around the farm, so they don't make any noise walking/running around; they eat quietly, talk in sign language, and have built up other aspects of their home to prevent sound from being heard outside. To establish this as a concept for a movie is bold in and of itself, but Krasinski then crafts an emotional, riveting thriller story to follow as well.

This ambitious "silent" concept is executed almost perfectly. I only have two tiny issues (which are spoilers so I won't discuss them in here), but they don't really matter much in the grand scheme of things, as the overall experience of the movie is outstanding. There is no need to explain the creatures or where they're from, there's no need to go into detail about the past, or discover another group of survivors, or drift off into another plot. This movie is exactly what it is and it succeeds beautifully in being that. It's a self-contained, minimal sci-fi horror thriller that attempts to establish a world where sound is not allowed for the sake of survival. Krasinski's direction is supremely confident, he knows exactly what he is doing and it shows. He's made an endearing, engaging horror thriller that can be enjoyed by different audiences, and it's real thrill.

A Quiet Place is a much, much better "Twilight Zone" story than the other two Cloverfield sequels (the best of which is 10 Cloverfield Lane, of course), which are also trying to play in that kind of self-contained sci-fi sandbox. In fact, this could've been a Cloverfield sequel, and I'm glad Paramount didn't force this to be one, because it works nicely on its own. Much like Rod Serling's original "Twilight Zone" episodes, this script doesn't drift off and explain things or trying to provide unnecessary extra context. It keeps its focus on the story at hand, and it's all the better for it. The entire movie is actually quite minimal. And I love it so much for not wasting time or energy on being bigger than it needs to be. Even from the opening scenes, he trusts the audience enough for them to jump right in, no need for backstory - it's all shown in the details anyway.

There's so many awesome little touches and details and aspects to it that make it a completely excellent film. A Quiet Place features some stunning cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen. And it's aided by stellar VFX work by ILM, which is important in making you believe these creatures are real. There's so much more hidden in it. It's the kind of movie you want to rewatch just to see what you can find hidden in each scene, to examine closer all the nuances and details about their quiet life. The performances from the entire cast are impressive, thanks in large part from Krasinski knowing how to make sure they're subtle but meaningful performances. There's nothing like an ambitious original concept that is executed perfectly, and leaves you feeling invigorated and excitement by the potential of cinema today. This is one of those movies.

At its core, A Quiet Place is an outstanding sci-fi thriller about a family and the bonds of love that keep them together, surviving together. I really admire where John Krasinski is going as a director, getting better and better with each movie he makes, directing with such an assured sense of cinematic storytelling. He knows that great movies are all about all of the elements working together in harmony - the story, the visuals, the performances, the production design and set decoration, even the score (in this it's by Marco Beltrami). This horror shows his talented capabilities as a genre filmmaker, proving he's adept in being meticulous yet building an entirely captivating, if minimal, story to follow. And I hope he only continues to get better, as I couldn't be more thrilled with what he's created for us to enjoy this time. It's very worth seeing in a cinema.

Alex's Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter - @firstshowing

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Blake Cooper in Trailer for Coming-of-Age Drama 'Measure of a Man'

"What's a fat kid like you going to do!?" Great Point Media has debuted a new trailer for the indie coming-of-age drama Measure of a Man, the second film by English filmmaker Jim Loach, who happens to be the son of acclaimed filmmaker Ken Loach. Measure of a Man takes place over one summer where a teenage boy comes to understand who he is and what makes up the "true measure of a man". Blake Cooper stars as Bobby Marks, with an impressive ensemble featuring Judy Greer, Donald Sutherland, Beau Knapp, Liana Liberato, Luke Wilson, Danielle Rose Russell, and Sam Keeley. I'm intrigued by the way the trailer lists films "in the tradition of", one of the first times I've seen that. And this actually looks quite good.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jim Loach's Measure of a Man, direct from YouTube:

Over the course of this emotional roller coaster of a summer, secrets are revealed, lessons are learned and fourteen-year-old Bobby comes to understand who he is and what makes up the true measure of a man. A bullied teen experiences a turning point summer in which he learns to stand up for himself. Measure of a Man is directed by English filmmaker Jim Loach, making his second film after Oranges and Sunshine in 2010 previously, a plenty of other TV work as well. The screenplay is written by David Scearce, based on the novel "One Fat Summer" by Robert Lipsyte. This hasn't premiered at any film festivals just yet. Great Point Media will release Loach's Measure of a Man in select theaters starting May 11th this summer. Interested?

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'It Sends Same Messages as Playboy': Walmart Removes Cosmopolitan Magazine from Check-Out Line Shelves

Walmart is removing Cosmopolitan magazines from the shelves of their check out lines.

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Venezuela government breaks silence over jail riot, fire that killed 68

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s government broke its silence about a riot and fire in a police station’s cells that killed dozens of prisoners on Wednesday, issuing a statement on Friday night sending condolences to relatives and promising an investigation.

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U.S. seeks over six years prison for Macau billionaire in U.N. bribery case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Friday asked a judge to sentence Macau billionaire Ng Lap Seng to more than six years in prison, after his conviction last July for bribing two U.N. ambassadors to help him build a multi-billion dollar conference center.

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Volkswagen's car 'graveyard' in California

Volkswagen has been storing hundreds of thousands of cars after the diesel emissions scandal.

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Anthony Joshua: How many calories make a champion?

For Anthony Joshua it's 5,500 - but what about some of the other heavy-hitters out there?

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Turning bread into beer to fight food waste

This Vienna food shop is tackling food waste by turning inedible leftovers into something drinkable.

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Thousands raised for orphans-to-be Louis and Ella

Louis, 16, and Ella, 14, face losing their mother to cancer after their father died of a stroke.

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The teenager sentenced to 241 years in prison

A man who committed a brutal robbery as a teenager will be in prison until he dies. Is that fair?

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Obituary: Johan van Hulst, the teacher who saved Jewish children

Johan van Hulst, who has died aged 107, saved children from the Nazis but wished he could have done more.

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Cambridge Analytica: Can targeted online ads really change a voter's behaviour?

Online political advertising that uses big data to target individuals - how influential is it?

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Russian spy: How big is the Kremlin's diplomatic network?

Russia is losing more than 140 envoys, but it remains one of the world's diplomatic powerhouses.

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Myanmar's Rohingya stuck in Bangladesh's 'no man's land'

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living on a small strip of land between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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The dispute over how Labour's disputes are handled

The BBC's Iain Watson on the resignation of the Labour Party's disputes panel chief and who might replace her.

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New Zealand v England: Jonny Bairstow hits unbeaten 97 as batsmen struggle again

Jonny Bairstow makes an unbeaten 97 as England's batsmen largely struggle on the first day of the second Test against New Zealand.

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Australian ball-tampering: Steve Smith, David Warner & Cameron Bancroft punishments 'too harsh'

Ball-tampering bans given to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft contain "glaring and clear anomalies", says the Australian Cricketers' Association.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2GVuT3T

West Ham v Southampton: Extra security for London Stadium game to cost taxpayers £60,000

Increased security at West Ham's home game against Southampton at London Stadium on Saturday will cost taxpayers about £60,000.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2pPmVSj